A typical apparatus for wrapping a stack of objects has a wrapping unit for wrapping the side faces of the stack with a film wrapper and at least one welder for welding two wrapper ends together at a side face. The term “stack” refers to a plurality of packages, packets, sacks or similar objects that are preferably stacked to form a parallepipedal stack having vertical side faces. According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the stack is carried on a pallet.
An apparatus and method of the type described above are known from practice in various embodiments. With the known apparatus and method the problem exists that the stack provided with the wrapper has to be transported over a relatively great distance prior to being introduced into a shrinking device and has to pass a number of subassemblies such as rotary plates and traversing carriages. This often causes in a disadvantageous manner the wrapper to slip or to drop down on the stack before the film is shrunk. The consequences are that stacks are insufficiently wrapped up or packaged and will then for example not be able to resist much mechanical stresses during transport and storage.